Stalin's Russia

Rise

Impacts (after 1929)

Economic (mainly +ve)= FYP

Social

Political

* Favourable Circumstances(what happened in the Politburo that made it possible for Stalin to rise to power*

Stalin's character

2) Control Over Party Organisation

  • Stalin was the Secretary General= able to appoint Party member= increased support & shrank Trotsky's base
  • Got Trotsky expelled from CP

3) Exploitation of ideological divisions

  • CP party were divided & stalin capitalised on this.
  • Formed Troika alliance with Kamenev & Zinoviev= expel Trotsky
  • Then Stalin broke Troika alliance and discredit Kamenev & Zinoviev
    Results= eliminate all his rivals like K, Z & Bukharin

1) Pretended to be close to Lenin

  • Visited Lenin often
    -Organised Lenin's funeral & became chief mourner
  • gave Trotsky wrong funeral date
    -Results= made Stalin looked like he was very close to Lenin= +ve impression on Russians = looked like Lenin's natural successor

1) Non-disclosure of Lenin's Testament

2) Trotsky's unpopularity in the Politburo
-biggest competitor for Stalin, seen as threat by other CP members= unpopular
-outspoken =e.g criticised Lenin's NEP (new economic policies)
-believed in 'permanent revolution' vs Stalin's 'socialism in one country'.= not in line with CP's idea
always ill= too weak to organise supporters & excluded from CP's decision making

Collectivisation

Rapid industrialisation

Great Terror

Propaganda

State control of society

Living in Fear

Impact on various social groups

  • Lenin died in 1924
  • Lenin wrote a testament about his successors & criticized them (esp stalin) (Trotsky, Stalin, Kamenev, Bukharin )
  • The Party agreed not to make the Testament public
  • Results= stalin able to keep his position as Secretary General +able to hire ppl who supported him= more support base= rise to power
  • merged small farms to larger collectivised farms (Kolkhozy)
    -mechanisation= used tractors= need lesser manpower
  • State decides on the amount of crops produced, wages fixed
  • Farms taken away from Kulaks = resisted by burning crops and animals
  • Farmers sent to cities to work in factories
  • The Great Famine (1932- 1933)

Development of heavy industries= coal, iron, steel & electricity
-set quotas for production of goods
-wages and working hours fixed

  • FYP considered a success as SU = industrial based for powerful arms industry
    --ve= poor planning and substandard goods
    Total of 3 FYPs but last one affected but WWII.